Electrical time switch



Aprii 6 1926. hwfifi J. J. RUDDICK ELECTRICAL TIME SWITCH Filed Feb. 24, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet l 0X04 Q I N VEN TOR. v V 3.

ATTORNEYS.

April 6,1926.

' J. J. RUDDICK ELECTRICAL TIME SWITCH Filed Feb. 24, 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR.

w A TTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 6, 1926.

UNITED STATES 1,579,662 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN J. BUDDICK, OF WEST NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL STREET SIGNAL CORPORATION, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRICAL TIME SWITCH.

Application filed February 24, 1922. Serial No. 538,961.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, JOHN 'J. BUnnIoK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of West Newton, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Time Switches, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an electrical time switch and more particularly to the type disclosed in an application filed by me on August 2, 1920, Serial No. 400,524

in which a switch is controlled by a detent which in turn is controlled by two motors one of which is in the form of an electro magnet having an armature movable relatively to the detent but adapted to effect the movement of the detent in both directions. An object of this invention is to provide a construction in which the detent is mounted independently of the armature as by being pivoted on an axis common to an axis about which an armature turns. A further object of the invention is to provide an adjustable connection between the armature and the detent so that the time of the actuation of the detent to open the switch may be varied. Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved motor for moving the armature away from the electro-magnet.

To these and other ends, the invention consists of certain parts and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described: the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a time switch constructed in accordance with this inven- Fi 6 is a detail view of the retarding mechanism; and

Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the connection between the detent and the switch.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 indicates the baseon which a brass surrounded by coils 6. These two coils are connected in series, the end of one coil being connected to a binding post 8 while the end of the other coil is connected to an adjustable resistance coil 9 which in turn is connected to a binding post 10.

The electromagnet formed by the two coils 6 with their pole pieces has an armature 11 which, in this instance, is secured to a brass member 12, the latterbeing pivoted at 13 to the base frame 2. The armature 11 controls the'switch. In this instance, the switch embodies two pairs of terminals or contacts 14 pivot-ally mounted at 15 011 anchoring pieces 16 which are securedby screws 17 to a non-conducting slab 18, each contact being acted upon by a spring 19 which yieldingly holds the contacts in a certain position. Binding posts 20 connect with the anchoring plate and lead to any suitable electrical source and apparatus or device. Each pair of contacts 14 is adapted to be connected by connecting members 21, the two members being mounted upon an insulating slab 22 which is secured to a swinging member 23, said swinging member being ,movably connected at 24 to a brass frame 25 which at one end is secured to the upwardly extending portion 3 of the base frame 2 at 26, and at the other end is secured to the upper end of a post 27, which projects upwairdly from the base frame 2 at the opposite en The control of the switch may be effected by moving upwardly the swinging member 23 through a detent or operating device actuated by the armature 11. Normally the connecting contacts 21 drop away from the contacts 14 by gravity due to the weight of the arm 23. On the .under side of this arm, a roller 28 is arranged for actuation by a detent or operating member 29 the 30. Between these stops the bar 32 on the detent 29 operates, this bar having at 1ts upper end a wide bearing surface 33 and a stop or shoulder 34. When the armature 11 is drawn to the pole piece 5, the stop 30 will cooperate with one side of the bar 32 and shift the detent so that the wide bearing surface will act on the roller 28 and move the swinging member 23 upwardly to connect the contacts 14 by the connectors 21 as illustrated in Fig. 4. After the detent has closed the switch, the latter due to its 10st motion connection with the armatureremains in this positiomuntilit is moved therefrom by the stop 31, on the armature-actuated part 12 engaging the other side of. the bar 32 and kicking the detent from beneath the roller 28 permiting the switch to open. It is apparent that by adjusting the abutment or stop 31, the time of actuation of the detent to open the switch may'be varied. A screw .35 adjustable in the post 27 may have its innenend adapted to cooperate with the, armature actuated part 12 in ofder to limitthe outward movement of the armature with reference to the electromagnet.

A helical 5 ring 36 is secured at one end I to an adjusta 1e screw 37 which is meiinted necting member 25.

on an arm 38 secured to the connecting frame 25 at its lower end. The other end of the spring 36 is secured at 39 to a swinging arm 40 which is pivoted at 41 to the.

connecting frame '25. The arm 40, through a link 42, connects with a ivoted or motor member 43 which is secure to arock shaft 44 journalled in side plates 45 secured by screws 46 to the opposite sides of. the con- This motor member 43 operates between the coils of the electromagnet'and connects by a link 46 with an arm 47 on the detent .29. It is apparent that, when the armature 11 is attracted to the electromagnet, the motor actuated member 43 will shift downwardly and store energy in the spring or motor 36, which will, upon the deenergization of the electromagnet, move the armature and the member 12, by which the armature is carried, in the opposite direction.

With the end in view of controlling this return movement of the armature and its l carrier 12, a timingor retarding mechanism is employed. This consists, in this instance, of a train of gears embodying a pinion 48 loosely mounted on a shaft 49 and engaged by gear teeth 50 one motor member 43. The pinion 48 has a ratchet wheel 51 engaged by a'pawl 52 on a gear 53 secured to a shaft 49. The gear 53 meshes with a pinion 54 on a shaft 55 which also carries a, gear 56, the latter in turn meshing with a pinion 57 on a shaft 58 which carrles an escapement wheel 59. With the escapement wheel 59 an anchoring device or pallet 60 cooperates, the latter having a balancing arm 61 extending transversely of its shaft 62. It will be seen that thistiming mechanism permits the motor member 43 to move independently thereof when actuated'by the armature 11, but when the motor member is actuated by the spring 36, the timing mechanism comes into action and retards the return movement, of the motor member 43 under the action of the 'spring 36,

The operation of the inventionwlll be understood from the foregoing description but it maybe summarized as follows: When the electromagnet is energized, the armature 11 is attracted to it and this through the sto 30 on the armature carrier 12 shifts the detent 29 so that the upper end of the bar 32 will engage the roller 28 and close the switch by elevation of the member or carrier 23 so that the connectors 21 connect the contacts 14. When the armature '11 is attracted, the motor member 43 is pulled downwardly through the link 46, thus storing energy in the spring 36 so that, when the electromagnet is deenergized, the spin 36 starts to move the motor member 43, t is being controlled by 'the timing mechanism. During the first part of the movement. of the motor member 43, the armature carrier 12 does not shift the detent 29. This shifting only occurs after the adjustable stop 31 cooperates with the bar 32, so that motion of the motor member 43 may be transmitted to the detent. It is apparent that by adjusting the stop 31 the time in which the actuation of the detent takes place may be varied.

What I claim as m invention and desire to secure by Letters atent is 1. A time switch comprising switch contacts, an electromagnet having a pivoted armature, a detent for closing one of the switch contacts having a movement relatively to the armature and moved by the armature to close the switch, a swinging motor member, a link pivotally connected to the swinging motor member and to the armature for causing the motor member to be moved in one direction when the armature is attracted by the electromagnet to effect the closing of the switch, a spring for moving said swinging motor member in the opposite direction, and a retarding mechanism geared to the teeth of the swinging motormember.

2. A time switch comprising switch contacts, an electromagnet having an armature pivotally mounted, a pair of stops carried with said pivotally mounted armature, a detent for cooperationwith said switch contacts mounted to turn about an axis common with the axis of turning of the armature and moved through one ofthe stops by the armature to close the switch, and a motor for moving said armature to effect the movement of the detent to open the switch through the other stop.

3. A time switch comprising switch cona detent for closing theswitchj mounted independently of the armature'and having a movement relatively to the. armature, said detent being moved by the armature to close the switch, a motor for moving said armature to effect the movement ofthe detent to open the switch, and a timing mechanism having a ratchet connection with the armature to delay the action of the motor to open the switch and permit the electromagnet to move the armature to close the switch without actuating the timing mechanism.

5. A time switch comprising switch contacts, an electromagnet having an armature, a detent for closing the switch having a lost motion connection with the armature and moved by ,the armature to close the switch, a motor for moving said armature to effect the movement of the detent to open the switch, and an adjustable connection between said armature and the detent for varying the time of the opening movement of the switch.

6.'A time switch comprising switch contacts, an electromagnet having an armature pivotally mounted, a pair of stops carried with said pivotall mounted armature, a detent for cooperation with said switch contacts mounted to turn about an axis common with the axis of turning of the armature and moved through one of the stops by the armature'to close the switch, and a motor for moving said armature to effect the movement of the detent to openthe switch through the other stop said last mentioned stop being adjustable.

7. A time switch comprising switch contacts,

an electromagnet having an armature,

a detent for closing the switch having a movement relatively to the armature and- -moved by the armature to close theswitch,

an arm extending from the armature, a pivotally mounted motor member having a link connection with said arm, a spring opposing the movement of the motor member by the armature, and timing mechanism connected to the motor member to retard the movement of'the latter under the action of the spring. f 8. A time switch comprising switch contacts, an electromagnethaving an armature and two coils, a detent for closing the switch having a movement relatively to the armature-and moved by the armature to close the switch, an arm on the armature extending between the coils, a pivotally mounted motor vmember arranged to one side of the coils and having a link con nection with the'arm, a spring opposing the movement'of the motor member by the armature, and timing mechanism retarding the movement of the'motor member by the spring, said timing mechanism having a ratchet connection "with the motor member to permitthe movement of the latter by the armature under the action of the electromagnet.

9. A time switch comprising switch con tacts,-an electromagnet having an armature. a detent for closing the switch having a movement relatively to the armature and .moved by the. armature to close the switch,

member under the action-ofthe spring, said.

timing mechanism having a clutch connection with the pivotally mounted motor mem- .in one direct on independently of the timing mechanism.

JoHN J. RUDDIGK'.

ber permitting the movement of'the latter a 

